Overweight, Obesity Raise Kidney Disease Risk

A large study conducted in Thailand corroborates previous findings showing that overweight and obesity are associated with an increased likelihood of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The study, by Bancha Satirapoj, MD, of Phramongkutklao Hospital and College of Medicine in Bangkok, included 12,348 men and 3,009 women who underwent a general health screening. Individuals with a body mass index (BMI, in kg/m2) of 23-24.9, 25-29.9, and 30 or higher had a 29%, 58%, and 65% increased risk of developing CKD, after adjusting for potential confounders, according to findings published online in Nephrology. The associations were independent of age, gender, blood pressure, and serum lipid, uric acid, and glucose levels.

The prevalence of CKD—defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study equation—was 7.5%.

Subjects with CKD had a significantly higher mean BMI than those without CKD (25.36 vs. 24.04), as well as a significantly higher prevalence of abdominal obesity (35.7% vs. 25.3%). The investigators defined abdominal obesity as a waist circumference of 90 cm or greater for men and greater than 80 cm for women.